Steam locomotive and similar vehicle



Dec. 8, 1925- 1,564,390

R. H. WHITELEGG STEAM LOCOMOTIVE AND SIMILAR VEHICLE Filed Feb. 5. 1925 Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

i ATENT QFFIQE.

ROBERT HARBEN 'WHITELEGG, 0F MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

STEAM LOCOIMOTIVE AND SIMILAR VEHICLE.

Application filed February 3, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT HARBEN .Vrrrrnmcso, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam Locomotives and Similar Vehicles (for which I filed an application in Great Britain on Dec. 11, 1923), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam locomotives and similar vehicles, and has for its object the increase of the efficiency of known types of steam locomotives, by providing means whereby the steam may be used to greater advantage than is at present possible.

The advantages to be derived from the use of turbines and condensers are well known, and this invention provides means whereby such advantages may be utilized'in combination with the known advantages of locomotives having reciprocating piston engines. The invention also provides means whereby existing locomotives may be made more powerful. It also provides means whereby the framework, boiler, wheels and other parts of existing locomotives may be utilized in conjunction with a separate turbine driven condenser vehicle.

Locomotives are of course well known, wherein a boiler on one frame is employed to generate steam for operating a steam turbine carried on another frame together with its condenser. It has also been suggested to provide a combined steam and electrically driven vehicle wherein an electric generator carried on a tender is driven by a steam turbine the steam for which is supplied by the exhaust from the reciprocating engines on the locomotive or from the locomotive boiler.

The present invention consists of a locomotive comprising two coupled and operatively interconnected power driven units one of said units comprising a boiler and reciprocating piston engines and the other of said units comprising a steam turbine or turbines driving travelling wheels through reduction or transmission gearing, and a condenser to which the turbine exhausts, means being provided for coupling the two units and causing steam from the recipro eating piston engines and/or boiler of one Serial No. 6,624.

unit to drive the turbine or turbines on the other unit.

The driving turbine or turbines receiving steam from the locomotive may be high pressure only or compounded in any desired system or method with each other and/or with the reciprocating piston engines of the loco- .iotive, and finally exhausting into a condenser attached to or carried by the turbine driven vehicle. The turbine or turbines may be connected to the driving wheels by toothed gearing, rods, flexible connections and the like, or the connection may be made by means of any suitable method of power transmission.

The turbine or turbines and/or gearing may be attached to, or suspended from the frame work of the condenser vehicle in any suitable position, and/0r they may be'rigidly or flexibly attached to the condenser.

The driving sources of the two separate units or vehicles may be arranged for high pressure working only, in which case they will each be connected by means of suitable rigid and flexible pipes and connections to the common boiler, the exhaust steam from the reciprocating piston engines being utilized for draught purposes as in locomotives of known type, and the turbine or turbines exhausting into the condenser.

The preferred arrangement will have the reciprocating piston engines of the locomotive high pressure and the turbine or turbines low pressure, the said driving sources of the two separate units being compounded in any desired system or method. The exhaust from the reciprocating piston engines may be taken to the turbine or turbines by means of suitable rigid and flexible pipes, grease traps, receivers and connections, the final exhaust from the turbine or turbines being discharged into the condenser. The steam receiver pipes connecting the locomotive cylinders and the turbine or turbines will preferably be arranged in the smokebox and/or boiler tubes of-the locomotives in a suitable manner for superheating the steam before it is delivered to the turbine or turbines. Provision for'supplying any desired quantity of high pressure steam from the locomotive boiler to the turbine or turbines may be made if required. Suitable means for steam raising such. as a draught fan or the like may be provided on the locomotive as a substitute for the exhaust blast.

I may provide suitable valves and con nections for operating or controlling each vehicle either independently or in combina tion.

In another embodiment of the invention, I may remove the driving mechanism from the wheels and framework of the locomotive of known type, by this means converting the locomotive into a boiler carrying vehicle, and in such case, high pressure steam may be taken through suitable pipes, valves, superheaters and connections, direct from the boiler to the driving turbine and or other steam motor on the condenser vehicle.

The turbines and condensers may be of any desired form or system.

The turbine driven condenser vehicle may comprise one or any number of power driven groups of wheels with frameworks and driving mechanism, and having bogie or carrying wheels as desired, and the size, number and position of driving and carrying wheels may be as desired.

Reciprocating piston engines and or other steam motor may also be provided on the condenser vehicle, for use as independent driving sources, or in combination with the driving turbine or turbines, and such engines and/or motors may be simple or compound with each other and/or with the turbine or turbines in any desired method.

The locomotive and or the turbine driven condenser vehicle may be arranged for use in conjunction with rack rails, centre rails or the like.

The locomotive or boiler vehicle and the turbine driven condenser vehicle may be flexibly connected by suitable means and the two vehicles will preferably be connected in such manner as will bring their driving sources as near together as possible. The drivers cab and foot plate may be placed in any convenient position on either vehicle.

Water and fuel tanks may be carried on each or either vehicle as required. I

The condensate may be used as feed water for the boiler and may be passed through suitable heating arrangements as desired.

Referring to the drawing accompanying this specification, the figure shows one embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that other embodiments may be obtained without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

The figure illustrates generally the preferable arrangement, A being the locomotive of known type, having driving cylinders B, driving wheels C, framework D, boiler E, drivers cab F, water and fuel tanks G, and smokebox H.

J indicates the turbine driven condenser vehicle, flexibly connected to the locomotive A at K, and having turbine or turbines L, driving wheels M, frame work N, condenser O, and carrying wheels or bogie P; Q indicates gearing, flexible shafts and the like connecting the turbine L to the driving wheels M, but it will be obvious that other suitable methods may be used. Any suitable system of flexible steam pipe connection between A and J may be provided.

R is a steam pipe whereby steam can be conveyed directly through the pipe V? to the turbine L, such pipe being provided with a control valve S of the two way type so that steam can be passed directly into the turbine when the reciprocating piston engines of the first vehicle or unit are not in use or so that steam can be passed through a reducing device T to the turbine L. U is an exhaust pipe from the reciprocating piston engines of the first vehicle or unit conveying exhaust steam therefrom through the pipe XV of the turbine L and provided with a control valve V. A reciprocating engine is indicated at X. on the condenser vehicle.

The provision of any number of power driven groups of wheels on the condenser vehicle will be understood from the drawing. thus, for instance the bogie wheels P may be provided with driving mechanism of any suitable form as described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A locomotive comprising two coupled and operatively interconnected power driven units one of said units comprising a boiler and reciprocating piston engines and the other of said units comprising a steam turbine, traveling wheels, transmission gearing for driving said traveling wheels, a condenser to which the turbine exhausts, means for coupling the two units and causing steam from e ther the reciprocating piston engines or boiler or both of the first unit to drive the turbine on the other unit.

2. In combination. a locomotive of known type comprising one vehicle having reciproeating piston engines and a second vehicle carrying a steam turbine. traveling wheels, mechanical gearing actuated by said. turbine and driving said traveling wheels. and a condenser to which the turbine exhausts, and means for coupling the two vehicles together and conveying steam from either the reciprocating piston engines or boiler or both on the first vehicle to drive the turbine on the other vehicle.

8. A locomotive comprising two coupled and operatively interconnected power driven units, one of said units comprising a boiler and reciprocating piston engines, and the other of the said units comprising a steam turbine, a group of coupled traveling wheels and transmission gearing actuated by said turbine and drivin said t aveling wheels, a

condenser to which the turbine exhausts, and

means for coupling the two units and causing steam from either the reciprocating piston engines or boiler or both of the first unitto drive the turbine of the group of coupled Wheels.

4. In combination, a locomotive of known type comprising one vehicle having reciproeating piston engines and a second vehicle carrying a steam turbine, a group of coupled traveling wheels, mechanical gearing actuated by the turbine and driving said travelin wheels, and a condenser into which the turbine exhausts, and means for coupling the two vehicles and causing steam from either the reciprocating piston engines or boilers or both of the first vehicle to drive the turbine of the group of coupled wheels.

5. A locomotive comprising two coupled and operatively interconnected power driven units, one of said units comprising a boiler and reciprocating piston engines, and traveling wheels driven by said engines, the other of said units comprising a steam turbine, traveling wheels, and transmission gearing actuated by said turbine and driving said traveling wheels, and a condenser into which the turbine exhausts, and a reciprocating piston engine, and traveling wheels driven thereby, the reciprocating piston engine being on the second power driven unit, and means for coupling the two units and cansing steam from either the reciprocating p1s ton engines or boiler or both of the first unit to drive the turbine and the reciprocating piston engine on the other unit.

6. In combination, a locomotive of known type comprising one vehicle having reciprocating piston engines and a second vehicle *arrying a steam turbine, mechanical gearing actuated by said turbine, traveling wheels driven by said mechanical gearing, and a condenser into which the turbine exhausts, and a reciprocating piston engine and traveling wheels driven thereby, the reciprocating piston engine being on the second vehicle, and means for coupling the two vehicles and causing steam from either the reciprocating piston engines or boiler or both of the first unit to drive the turbine and the reciprocating piston engine on the other vehicle.

7. In combination, a boiler carrying vehicle, a second vehicle carrying a steam turbine, traveling wheels, mechanical gearing actuated by said turbine and driving said traveling wheels, and a condenser into which the turbine exhausts, and a reciprocating piston engine and traveling wheels driventhereby, the reciprocating piston engine being on the second vehicle, and means for coupling the two vehicles and causing steam from the boiler on the first vehicle to drive the turbine and reciprocating piston engine on the second vehicle.

In witness whereof I afiEix my signature. ROBERT HARBEN VVHITELEGG. 

